This invention relates to dishwashing machines, and more particularly to an operating device for causing the lid covering a powdered dishwashing soap receptacle to open.
Dishwashers of this type generally consist of a tub appropriately mounted upon a frame. The tub has an opening which accesses a washing chamber in which the washing is performed. Both the tub and the frame are enclosed within a cabinet. The cabinet has a hinge along its bottom edge to which a door is mounted. When the door is closed the tub opening is covered and the washing cycle may begin. The dishwasher door has a receptacle for holding detergent prior to and during part of the washing cycle. The receptacle has an opening facing the washing chamber when the dishwasher door is closed and which, during the initial stage of the washing procedure, is covered by a lid releasable by electric means.
In most dishwashers of this type there is a receptacle for holding powdered detergent located in the dishwasher door. By such an arrangement it is easy to fill the detergent into the receptacle since when the dishwasher door is open it is horizontal and the opening of the receptacle is directed upwards. After filling the detergent into the receptacle it is covered by a lid which is kept in the closed position by a lock means. The lock means is usually releaseable by an electric means connected to a program controller arranged int eh dishwasher which controls the washing cycle. Often an electromagnetic solenoid, which is mounted in the dishwasher door, is used as the electric means and the core of the solenoid releases the lock means when the solenoid is activated. The electromagnetic solenoid is automatically activated by the program controller at the proper time during the washing cycle.
A disadvantage with this arrangement is that the cables for the electromagnet have to bridge the gap between the dishwasher door and the cabinet of the dishwasher. This often leads to wear problems since the door is rotatable on a hinge and must be opened each time dishes are inserted into or taken out of the washing chamber. Prolonged wear and tear from the unavoidable strechings and bendings to which the cables are exposed can create short circuits or breaks of the cables which result in a safety risk.